Zuffa Boxing terminates Oleksandr Gvozdyk's contract

Zuffa Boxing has terminated the contract of former WBC world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, invoking a ‘lose and you are fired’ clause. Gvozdyk, 39, received the termination notice via email in April following a seventh-round knockout loss to Radivoje Kalajdzic in February.

Gvozdyk noted that the decision came as a surprise because he felt he was performing well during the fight, having dropped Kalajdzic twice before the stoppage. However, the loss marked his second defeat in three fights. The move highlights the business nature of the promotion, which utilizes performance-based clauses to protect its investments and ensure it maintains a roster of fighters capable of driving commercial interest and ratings.